I hope all of you had a few bottles of good Riesling as you celebrated Mother’s day in May. For the month of June, I would like to introduce Cabernet Sauvignon to you. Without hesitation, I put Cabernet Sauvignon at the top of the list of red-wine grapes of the world. As many might vouch, Cabernet Sauvignon maintains a recognisable style and character, even when away from its classic home region, Bordeaux, where it is the primary grape of most of the top vineyards in the Medoc and Graves districts. For example, a well-made “Cabernet” from Australia, California, Chile, and Eastern Europe will have basic family semblances despite overtones produced by differences in soil, climate, and vinification.

The flavour, structure, complexity, and longevity of wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are what make it so popular. The three keys to its recognition are its deep colour, its characteristic aroma of fresh blackcurrants or cedar, and its particular concentrated fruity flavour combined with tannin and acidity; with the word tobacco often used to describe older vintages. The acids and tannins found in a Cabernet Sauvignon help form the basis for its structure and longevity. In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is most often blended with one or more types of red-wine grapes. In California, wines are more often made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

As you celebrate Father’s day this month, do not buy your father or husband another razor or a reflexology mat. Instead, open a good vintage Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2001. If finances allow, try, for grape character, Chateaux Cos d’Estounel 2004 of Sanit-Estephe, France, or the Stag’s Leap Cask 23 Estate Cabernet 2006 from Napa Valley, California. These and more are available at the Decanter in The St. Regis Tianjin.